The Low Cost of High-Density Housing

"The House of Tomorrow" (April 10) may literally be the house of tomorrow, but not much further into the future than that.

With a mushrooming population, we can no longer afford to give over the area in land that the low density of detached housing requires. This is plain to see as one looks at the sprawling tracts of single-family detached houses that cling to ridges, cover hillsides and fill valleys to the horizon.

The alternative--attached, high-density housing--requires less land, fewer construction materials and can be cheaper to build.

When properly designed, high-density, or cluster, housing can provide as much privacy (as detached housing) and a stronger sense of community resulting in a healthier living environment. High density can also allow more open space for recreation and preservation.